Hopper gate latching mechanism

ABSTRACT

This disclosure deals with a lock mechanism for a discharge gate of a railway hopper car. The gate includes a frame secured to the lower end of a hopper of the car and extending around the hopper opening, a door plate movably supported by the frame, and means for horizontally moving the door plate between a closed position where it closes the hopper opening and an open position where it uncovers the opening. A lock mechanism is provided for holding the door plate in its closed position. The lock mechanism is both manually engageable and self engageable. In the event the trainmen neglect to manually engage the lock mechanism, shifting of the door plate when the car is moved results in automatic or self engagement of the mechanism.



1. A lock mechanism for a hopper car discharge gate of the type having a frame and a door plate supported on said frame for horizontal sliding movement between an open position and a closed position, said lock mechanism comprising an elongated latch, and a rod extending transversely through and supporting said latch intermediate its ends for rotation between an engaged position, a generally horizontal tripped position and a generally vertical disengaged position, said latch including a latch portion which when said latch is in said engaged position engages and holds the plate in its closed position and when said latch is in said disengaged position permits movement of the plate, said latch also including a trip portion which extends into the path of movement of the plate when the plate is in its closed position and said latch is in said disengaged position, said trip portion being shorter than said latch portion and disposed to be struck by the plate upon sliding of the plate toward its open position thereby rotating the latch away from said disengaged position to said tripped position in which said latch portion rests on said plate and is in position for subsequent movement into said engaged position upon return of the plate to its closed position.
 2. A discharge gate and lock assembly for a hopper car having a discharge opening on the underside thereof, said assembly comprising a frame adapted to be attached to said car at said opening, a plate mounted on said frame for generally horizontal movement between a closed position where it covers said opening and an open position where it uncovers said opening, a latch rod pivotally mounted on said frame and extending generally transversely of the direction of movement of said plate, a handle on each end of said latch rod adjacent a side of said frame, and an elongated latch on said rod adjacent said plate, said latch being rotatable by turning either one of said handles between an engaged position in which one end portion of said latch engages and holds said plate in said closed position and a disengaged position in which the one end portion extends upwardly from the rod and permits opening movement of said plate and the opposite end portion of said latch extends downwardly from the rod in the path of movement of a portion of said plate and movement of said plate toward its open position resulting in said portion of said plate striking said opposite end portion and tripping said latch from said disengaged position toward said engaged position, said latch being positioned on said rod relative to said handles to be pulled by the weight of said handles and said one end portion into said engaged position after the tripping of said latch when said plate is returned to closed position.
 3. An assembly as in claim 2, wherein said one end portion of said latch and said two handles are on one side of the axis of said rod when the latch is in said engaged position and said handles are shifted to the other side of said axis when said latch is moved to said disengaged position, whereby gravity tends to hold said latch in whichever engaged or disengaged position it is placed and to move said latch from a tripped position to said engaged position when said plate is moved to the closed position.
 4. An assembly as in claim 2, wherein said other end portion of said latch when in said disengaged position extends downwardly into said path of movement of said portion of said plate to be struck and rotated to a tripped position upon movement of said plate toward said open position, said one end portion of said latch resting on the upper surface of said plate when in said tripped position and until said plate moves into said closed position. 